Immediate past minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, has warned hired blackmailers and hack writers to leave him alone, following an orchestrated campaign of calumny targeted at him in the last one week.
In a statement issued yesterday by his media aide, Iboro Otongaran, the former minister advised that if the smear campaign was about a ministerial appointment, those behind it should know that “it is entirely the prerogative of the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces to appoint whoever he wants to work with.
“My position is that blackmailers – those who fabricate stories and those who peddle false stories to malign me because they want ministerial appointments, should leave me alone,” the former minister said.
“They ought to know that the appointment of ministers is the sole prerogative of the president,” he emphasised.
A group under the name of Akwa Ibom APC Renaissance, Umana said issued a false flag write-up last week upon which all the subsequent vitriolic publications have derived their justification.
According to Otongaran, Umana saw through their ill-intent and issued a prompt disclaimer, adding that the former stands by the letters and spirit of that disclaimer which is reproduced below.
He said, “Re: Petition to Secretary to Government of the Federation over ministerial slot for Akwa Ibom State,” the attention of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, has been drawn to a letter purported to be issued by Akwa Ibom APC Renaissance and addressed to the secretary to government of the federation, His Excellency George Akume.
“In the said letter, a copy of which the group claimed has been sent to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a strenuous effort is made to create the impression that the group is fighting for the political interest of Ibibio in Akwa Ibom State and Mr Umana as an individual in respect of who should be appointed minister from the state into the present administration.
“We want to make it crystal clear that Mr Umana has nothing to do with this letter, and that the group is not acting at the behest of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
“Contrary to the impression that the letter and those behind it want to create, Mr Umana is not an ethnic champion. In all the roles he has had the privilege to play at the state and national levels Umana has always acted in the national interest, prioritising competence, fairness and equity above other considerations. And over the years, Umana has demonstrated his loyalty to the APC and has been unstinting in his efforts to build and defend the unity of the party at both the state and national levels.
“Umana is neither aware nor is he part of any factional fight within the APC in Akwa Ibom State
“We totally disavow any insinuation of Mr Umana’s involvement in or support for any crisis in the APC in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
